Sunday, March 27, 2005

Springtime

Once a week isn’t enough to post.Other than the blog, it’s been a productive week though.My office is 75% more organized than a week ago.My kids are 100% less ill than a week ago.My best friend is coming down from Vermont for his wife’s 20th High School reunion next month and they are going to have an extra day to spend some time with us.“The Quiet Man” is on AMC right now.And, oh, it’s springtime in the Carolinas.For the next few weeks, there will not be a prettier place in the world.The azaleas, dogwoods, jasmine, and countless other varieties will be in full bloom.My street and town will be awash in color.The weather will be warm night and day without the sweat-inducing oppression that will soon be here.It’s deck weather now my friends.Pitchers shared with friends on the deck of The Salty Nut are a springtime tradition (For some of us, it’s a year-round event.We just have to dress warmly sometimes.)Soon enough, summer will be here and I’ll try to stay motionless until the sweet relief autumn brings in on a cool breeze.For now, I’ll just pull a chair out into the night air and enjoy my beverages the way God intended.

On the poker front, I accumulated the most points in our most recent series in the Tuesday night game.I get forty-seven extra chips in the Pig-Tussle this Tuesday.The winner gets half the pig and half the entry fee for the night.It was a much closer race this time with a big move by a player who had been on a year-long losing streak.I don’t think he placed in the money the first year I played in this game, but he has rebounded with a vengeance.

Speaking of rebounding, making it to the final four of the NIT may not be as cool as losing in the first rounds of the NCAAs but it sure beats sitting home, Go Cocks!

Miss Saigon came to towna few weeks ago and I’ve got a buddy who worked the show.He relayed this story to me.On the last day the cast was in town, one of the male performers showed up before the performance wearing a USC basketball shirt that, of course, said “GO COCKS” on the front.The other guys were insanely jealous and a huge cat-fight almost commenced.The guy said he had bought the shirt the first day in town and had kept it hidden from the others as he did not want them to buy one.He wanted to be the only one in New York City to have one, I guess.The situation only got worse as he goaded his compatriots with the words printed on the back, “We do it on the hardwood.”I should load up the van and make the drive up north.I could make a mint.

I have cut down on multi-tabling the SNGs as I ran into a buzz saw of a streak, cutting my bankroll dramatically.I had to skip a week of withdrawing.I have had five firsts in my last ten to recoup a bit and hope to get back on the withdrawal train soon.Playing one at a time has increased my focus and win rate.I feel in control playing them now and don’t think I have played a hand poorly in the last few days.Of course, I have played many hands badly in the ring games, but that’s nothing new.

My experiences at Full Tilt have been poor so far.I have cleared $160 of the bonus but am still down for the effort.I am trying to evaluate the games still as it is a completely new experience for me and hope to find the game to play.I find that I don’t really leak money; I pour it out on the ground in gallons.I have a tendency to overplay a few hands and it costs me dearly.My two biggest losses have been AA vs. 55, all-in pre-flop with a 5 on the flop to kill me and my QQ up against what I knew was an over pair but couldn’t lay down.Obviously, I don’t feel bad about the way I played the AA but the QQ was just dumb.Somebody needs to beat me with a stick.

There is the rumor of a game in town in the next few weeks that will have a buy-in sufficient and enough players present to send the winner to the WSOP.This is intriguing.

"Reading your column is usually the last thing I do before leaving the office for the Tuesday night poker game. It helps put me in the proper frame of mind before slinging cards. I have been blessed with a father and brothers for whom I have nothing but the greatest respect. My dad married late – he was 39 – and I know almost nothing about his life before the marriage. I know he hitchhiked from Florence, South Carolina, to Los Angeles in 1945, when he was 16. I know he won and lost in excess of $1,000 on the golf course in one day. I know he is chagrined that I became an attorney.

While I'm sure he's proud of my achievements, I know he would rather see me win $100 than earn $1,000. I know he really cares when he asks me how I did on Tuesday nights. I know he is looking around for juicy games for me to sit in on, and I know he understands the feelings I get when I am playing or about to play or can't play because one of the kids is sick. Damn, I'm lucky.– Wes Johnson, West Columbia, South Carolina